A Terrible Day, Saved by Soup

I had arranged for my tuk tuk driver John to pick me up at at 9am so I can see the infamous Floating Villages of Siem Reap. The guide book had informed me that its a nice escape from the chaos at the temples and makes for a good cultural experience. What they failed to mention was the overwhelming sense of depression and overcharged tickets.

As I approached the ticket booth I was bombarded with guides and other staff trying to sell me tickets for $30 which included a 3 hour tour and visit to the crocodile and fish farms. I had no interest in seeing the farms nor spending 3 hours on a long tail boat. This guy wouldn't drop his price so I went right to the booth and they asked for $20. I was still pissed but I wanted to stick it to this scammer. So I paid for the ticket, shot him an ominous grin and he immediately got pissed. Upon walking past him he tried to take my tickets but everyone else yelled at him.

On this huge boat it was only me, a driver, and his son who was basically my guide for the trip. There are several villages that are broken up by religion and/or Nationality. The Christians and Muslims have their own sections. The Vietnamese have theirs and so do the Cambodians. As we drove around the villages, one cant help but to be overwhelmed with empathy and depression towards the rough life these people live. They are all fishermen and the entire family must pull their own weight in one way or another, whether that's fishing, transporting goods, or driving the kids around to dock with tour boats. The kids docking was the worse because the mother would drive them around and their children would be wearing virtually nothing and holding up drinks with snakes wrapped around their bodies. Once they caught up to you, which the drivers facilitate, they hop on the boat and don't leave till they get something from you. At one point the driver asked if I want him to stop at mouth of the river where it meets the lake. This was basically putting my self in the red zone for every small boat carrying children to come and get me. I told the driver there is no way we are stopping and he then took me to the farms that I also told him I dotn want to see. Hundreds of fish are crammed into a small tank where they can barely move and the crocodile pit is scattered with piles of garbage and wood scraps. It was only an hour into the tour and I had had my fill. I requested we return and they could sense my displeasure with the trip so they let em drive the boat to make me happier. It did, until a woman with he hunger struck kid latched onto the boat and wouldn't let go until i paid them. Finally we returned and I could go back to the guest house to get food and recover from the Floating Villages.

Later I asked John to take me to the temples for the last time so I could see a few more sites, grab some gifts, and catch one more sunset. The sky was beautiful and there was a cool breeze which is not common. John and I had been getting along great and he knew I wanted to experience something that normal tourist don't do. He took me to a local school where there was a soccer game and the river across the field was lined with food stalls. We sat on a bamboo mat and he got me some noodle soup that was filled with all kinds of exotic vegetables and flowers I have never seen before. We caught the end of the game and the sunset and made our way back to the guesthouse. After such a depressing day, Johns final hour with me was the best way to end my stay in Siem Reap.